How to Run Facebook Ads Effectively Using A/B Testing

A/B testing, also called split testing, lets you compare two different versions of something to see which performs better. Two slightly different versions of the same marketing content are put out to see which performs better., i.e. email headline, social media post, or web page layout. Once you perform the test and learn which performs best, you can then use that knowledge to help your strategy moving forward.

How to Do A/B Testing for Facebook Ads

You can quite easily do A/B tests on Meta Ads Manager to test which version of an ad is more successful by having two different ads that are identical except for one variable, for example the image.
When creating a new campaign, enable A/B test. You will be prompted to edit a duplicate version. Choose one variable to change in the new version of your ad. There will be four choices to choose from:

• Creative-colour, image, call to action
• Audience
• Placement
• Other/Custom

It is very important that both versions be identical except for that one variable and so only one factor is changed and everything else stays the same, i.e; only the colour is different, or one ad has “50% off” as a call to action. As you can imagine it would not be a good idea to compare two that are completely different such as a video and an image as there are too many factors that could be the reason for the difference in success rates.

The winning campaign is determined by comparing the cost per result of each campaign. Once a winner is determined, “you’’ receive a notification in Meta ads manager and an email will be sent. The insights you gain can then be used to improve sales results, click-through rates, increase email open rates or boost social media engagement.

Best Practices

• Remember to only test one variable at a time for conclusive results. If you have too many versions/variables, then you won’t be able to tell why one worked better than the others and too many different factors that might be the reason for success.
• Focus on a measurable hypothesis, i.e., increased click through rate when “50% off” added to the text.
• Use an optimal time frame 7-10 days.

Always Evolving (My Takeaway)

Naturally we each have our own visual preferences and design is an extremely subjective process. A/B testing allows marketing campaigns to be based on a data driven approach to design and removes this subjectivity from the process. Finding the “perfect” design for your company or campaign can be overwhelming. With A/B testing you can get helpful insights into optimal design factors for your business and customers. So, when in doubt, run a test.

Unfortunately, like everything else in digital marketing, the only thing we can count on is change, so the answers may be different next month. Continuing to evolve and move along with your target audience is hopefully half the fun!

Click or tap to purchase the recording of Jennifer Baker’s video “How to Run Facebook Ads Effectively.”